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Draft Beer Balance Reference

        This is for professional and home systems alike which are using brewery approved beer line (or stainless steel beverage tubing) and the beer is maintained at 36°F. to 40°F. with CO2 as the gas.
        Note: If you are trying to use the cheap hose from hardware and home brewing stores forget about serving a proper draft beer.
        The pressure you set on the beer regulator gauge must be set equal to the calculated pounds of resistance from the keg connector to the faucet. The pounds of resistance in the beer line is calculated in the formula below. The ideal target pressure for your regulator setting is given in the TARGET page. Pressure should never be set below 12 psi on the gauge in order to have a beer faucet work properly.
        Compute the regulator setting (gauge) pressure by

Pg = L1   *   R1 + L2   *   R2 + L3   *   R3   +   H   *   0.5

where:
  • Pg = pressure to be set on regulator gauge by adjusting the adjusting screw or know on the regulator.
  • L1 = length of beer line1 in feet
  • R1 = Resistance of line1 from Resistance Table below.
  • L2 = length of beer line2 in feet
  • R2 = Resistance of line2 from Resistance Table below.
  • L3 = length of beer line3 in feet
  • R3 = Resistance of line3 from Resistance Table below.
  • H = Total height from the center of the keg to faucet in feet

Example 1:

  • The faucet is 11 feet (H) above the center height of the keg.
  • The beer line from the keg connector to the refrigerator wall is 15 feet (L1) of ½" beer line.
  • The beer line from the refrigerator wall to the tower beer line is 35 feet (L2) of 3/8" trunk line.
  • The beer line from the tower beer line to the faucet is 1 foot (L3) of 3/16" beer line.

Pg = L1   *   R1 + L2   *   R2 + L3   *   R3   +   H   *   0.5

Pg = 15   *   0.025 + 35   *   0.11 + 1   *   2.7   +   11   *   0.5

Pg = 0.375   +   3.85   +   2.7   +   5.5

Pg = 12.4

Answer: Round 12.4 to 12 and set the regulator gauge to read 12 pounds.

Example 2:

  • The faucet is 3 feet (H) above the center height of the keg.
  • The beer line from the faucet shank to the center of the keg is 4 feet of 3/16" (L1) beer line.

Pg = L1   *   R1   +   H   *   0.5

Pg = 4.0   *   2.7   +   3   *   0.5

Pg = 10.8   +   1.5

Pg = 12.3

Answer: Set the regulator gauge to read 12 pounds. If this was a tower with 5 feet of hose it would require cutting 1 foot from the hose to get the 4 foot measurement.

Example 3:

  • The faucet is 13 feet (H) above the center height of the keg.
  • The beer line from the faucet shank to the center of the keg is 12 foot of 3/16" (L1) beer line.

Pg = L1   *   R1   +   H   *   0.5

Pg = 12   *   2.7   +   13   *   0.5

Pg = 32.4   +   6.5

Pg = 38.9 psig

Answer: Bad system, pressure should be maintained below 19 psig. Use a larger diameter beer line and recalculate the pressure.
 

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Beer Line Resistance

Resistance given here is for use with carbonated beers for the balance instructions above.
Pressure drop in lines depend on setting the proper flow rate, the hose manufacturer and the materials used. Splicers will have little effect on pressure drop if only one is used to trim a system.
Every hose will vary with temperature and age.
Line
(inches)		Min Resistance
(pounds/foot)		Max Resistance
(pounds/foot)		Resistance used
In Examples
(pounds/foot)		Volume/foot
(ounces)
3/16" I.D. plastic beer line1.8 2.72.71/6
¼" I.D. plastic beer line0.4 0.850.71/3
5/16" I.D. plastic beer line0.1 0.200.173/4
3/8" I.D. plastic beer line0..09 0.150.113/4
½" I.D. plastic beer line0.0250.0300.0251 1/3
¼"O.D. Stainless Beverage Tubing0.4.85n/a1/3
5/16" O.D. Stainless Beverage Tubing0.10.2n/a3/4
3/8" O.D. Stainless Beverage Tubing0.09.15n/a3/4

Draft Problems are usually very simple and easily fixed when you understand the facts. The links on this page will allow you to both set up your draft system and trouble shoot a system that has gone bad.


Before you get into trouble shooting a system make sure of following things:
Is the system Balanced?
Is the beer keg internal temperature below 42°F.?
Is your regulator gauge pressure set at the proper Pressure for the keg temperature?

Remember that all these parameters have been worked out over several hundred years and each parameter is very important in serving a perfect draft.
Select the page below for th problem you are experiencing:
I have Cloudy Beer!
I have Flat Beer!
I have Foul Beer!
I have Sour Beer!
I have Wild (foaming) Beer!
I have Tail End Beer!

 
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